This is a zine dedicated death/grind, deathcore, grindcore, melodic death metal and death metal with a blackended edge for more info contact hatredmeanswar@yahoo.com, check out the new zine http://ExtremeMetalZine.blogspot.com

Thursday, August 31, 2017

WarCall are a band from Montreal, Quebec, Canada that plays a melodic mixture of death and thrash metal and this is a review of their 2017 album "Invaders" which will be released in October by Plan B Musique.

War samples start off the album along with drum beats a few seconds later which also leads up to a heavier thrash and speed metal musical direction while the solos and leads are also done in a very melodic and old school fashion along with all of the musical instruments having a very powerful sound to them.

A great amount of melody can be heard in the guitar riffing while the vocals are mostly death metal growls and screams while the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts along with some tracks also adding in the raw energy of punk rock and clean playing can also be heard briefly, some songs also show the vocals adopting more of a thrash style and a great amount of blast beats can be heard during the faster sections of the songs and one track also adds in a small amount of power metal vocals.

WarCall plays a musical style that takes melodic death metal and mixes it with thrash to create a sound of their own, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover war, battles, aliens, and violence themes.

In my opinion WarCall are a very great sounding melodic mixture of death and thrash metal and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Riding With Zombies" "The Man Who Suffers" "Through The Dusk" and "Alien Forces". 8 out of 10.

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

IKI: Mainly preparing our live seminars for the road, as well as starting on new material. Mike just pukes riffs out as quickly as he can drink beer. He’s like some bottles to metal machine.

2.You have a new album coming out in September, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
Mike: we've brought the raw sound of the first album up to date with a more brutal clearer sound to make the messages shine through the light in short we've become more brutal in the delivery of our sermons.
Iki: There’s stuff that happens in life that can only be channeled into angry riffs and wretching vocals and gut shaking drums. I’m pretty sure we have our core sound, but we’ve definitley moved on in a stronger direction with Random Acts

3.This is your first album in 4 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what was been gong on during that time span?
IKI: The usual. Flipping tables, defying death, drinking beer, staining hands with blood and dye. We built our own studio to hone our craft and all collectively work together easier longer and louder, and not upset the locals at our usual place.

Mike. We also played shows in Vietnam the Philippines, Thailand, Nepal, Germany, Austria, Scotland and the UK then took time to redefine our Acts.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
IKI: Pain, suffering, inevitable doom, blood, futility of humanity and healthy injection of Zombies. We do like a good zombie song; both types of zombies, the undead and the ones that just sit by and let evil happen in their name.

5.I know that the band name came from the writings of Clive Barker, how does this name fit in with the musical style you play?
IKI: Heavy, pacing, once you’re on board you kinda want to get off but you’re hooked into staying from morbid curiosity and that little bit of the brain which you usually ignore is shouting “Fuck yes this is it! This is living”.
Mike: If you take a ride on the Meat Train you'll discover a dark brutal ride that grinds.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Mike. That's a difficult one. Asia and Nepal were awesome. We met so many cool bands on our journeys there. Germany with our friends the mighty Fleshcrawl was awesome too. Svenson is onboard the meat train contributing his own Random Act on the title track of the new album. My personal favourite show was in Chromebox Manila. They knew how to get onboard the Meat Train. Brutal beautiful people.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
IKI: Everywhere possible

8.Currently the band is signed to 'Contagion Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
Mike. Contagion are an independent British label who contacted us when we finished our first album. They support the UK scene and have a lot of love and support for us.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal and grindcore?
IKI: Pretty damn awesome. Can’t wait to spread more globally.

10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
IKI: *Jedi hands* There is no side project

Mike. We're all committed to the message that Meat Train wants to deliver.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Mike. Random Acts Of Carnage is a statement of intent. The style is open to development in a more brutal way.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
IKI: The chains tear at their flesh... Hear their screams. Such sweet music.
Mike. Death, grind, thrash. I love Slayer, Cannibal Corpse, Testament. Whitechapel and Decapitated's offerings are suitably dark.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?
IKI: Personally, working in the lab. Stitching skins and making new horrors. I’ve got a fridge in there now – put a hammock in and I can spend days in there at a time. Until Mike summons me to make noise.
Mike. Preparing for the dark times ahead.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Mike. Get Random Acts Of Carnage and prepare for the apocalypse. Get to a live seminar and become part of a brutal journey.
IKI: Always wear gloves.

Shayd Legacy is a solo artist with a full band from Maldives that has been featured before in this zine and plays a mixture of hard rock, neo -classical, power and melodic death metal and this is a review of his self released 2017 album "Gateways".

Melodic power/heavy metal style riffing starts off the album while the solos and leads also use a great amount of melody along with some elements of neo classical and shred and a all of the tracks are all instrumental as well as some songs also bringing in a small amount of acoustic guitars.

At times the music gets very experimental and progressive sounding along with a great amount of 80's influences but also keeping everything modern while all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them and they also keep everything in either a slow or mid tempo direction.

On this recording Shayd legacy drops the melodic death metal influences of his previous release and focuses more on a mixture of neo-classical, heavy and power metal mixture while keeping everything instrumental and the sounds very professional for being a self released recording.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Shayd Legacy and if you are a fan of instrumental neo-classical and progressive metal, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Dominion" "The Imitation Game" "Stardust" and "Kingdom of Eden". 8 out of 10.

Inverted Serenity are a band from Manitoba, Canada that plays a very technical and progressive form of death metal with some elements of black, thrash and groove metal and this is a review of their self released 2017 album "As Spectres Wither" which will be released in October.

Acoustic guitar playing starts off the album along with some drum beats and melodic guitar leads a few seconds later which also leads up to some death metal growls making their presence known while black metal screams are also used in some parts of the songs and the music also gets very technical at times.

When the music speeds up a great amount of blast beats can be heard while the music also mixes in elements of prog and groove metal along with the clean parts also bringing in more of a progressive feeling and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts.

The riffs also bring in a great amount of melody and some tracks also bring in modern thrash influences and as the album progresses melodic vocals can also be heard briefly while all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them and some of the tracks are very long and epic in length.

Inverted Serenity plays a style of death metal that is very progressive, technical and brutal sounding while the black, groove and thrash metal elements gives the songs a lot more originality, the production sound s very professional while the lyrics cover philosophy, consciousness, Gnosticism, Nature, Science and Enlightenment themes.

In my opinion Inverted Serenity are a very great sounding progressive and technical death metal band with elements of black, thrash and groove metal and if you are a fan of t hose musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Mitral Genesis "Paragon" and "Lunar Cradle". 8 out of 10..

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Fragarak are a band from India that has been featured before in this zine and plays a very experimental, melodic and progressive form of death metal and this is a review of their 2017 album "A Spectral Oblivion" which will be released in October by Transcending Obscurity India.

Acoustic guitars start off the album along with some atmospheric sounding keyboards before going into a heavier direction which also introduces melodic guitar leads onto the recording along with some whispers also being utilized in the background at times and after awhile death metal growls start to make their presence known.

When the music speeds up a great amount of blast beats can be heard while the high pitched screams also add in a touch of black metal along with clean vocals also being utilized at times and the music also has its technical moments and the riffs also use a great amount of melody.

Throughout the recording there is a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts while acoustic guitars are also used on some of the later tracks along with most of the t racks being very long and epic in length and as the album progresses the music gets more progressive and experimental and there are also a couple of instrumentals and a later track introduces elements of Indian folk music and female vocals onto the recording.

Fragarak creates a recording that remains true to the melodic and progressive style of death metal from their previous release while also getting more experimental this time around, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover society, injustice, anarchy and defiance themes.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Fragarak and if you are a fan of melodic, progressive and experimental death metal, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Pahaneron Eclipsed" "Fathams Of Delirium" and "Of Ends Ethereal". 8 out of 10.

Friday, August 25, 2017

Meat Train are a band from the United Kingdom that plays a mixture of death metal and grindcore and this is a review of their 2017 album "Random Acts Of Carnage" which will be released in September by Contagion Records.

A very heavy sound starts off the album along with some dark sounding melodies also being utilized at times while the vocals are mostly death metal growls along with the music being heavily rooted in the 90's and when the music speeds up a great amount of blast beats and grindcore elements can be heard.

When guitar solos and leads a re utilized they remain very true to and old school style of death metal while spoken word samples can also be heard briefly along with all of the musical instruments sounding very powerful and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and one track also adds in a touch of bluegrass before returning back to a more brutal direction and a couple of tracks also adds in a small amount of clean playing and keyboards and there is also a brief use of hip hop elements.

Meat Train plays a musical style that goes back to the 90's era of death metal and grindcore, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover violence and gore themes.

In my opinion Meat Train are a very great sounding mixture of death metal and grindcore and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Random Acts Of Carnage' "Redneck Zombies" "Wolf" and "Block 11". 8 out of 10.

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since recording of the new album?
After the recordings we played two shows in Germany, subsequently we started with the work on the artwork for the album. The Italian artist Roberto Toderico did an awesome job by drawing the cover and the photographer Peter Kunz captured some great pictures of us. Right now we are preparing our upcoming tour with the mighty Master which starts on the 28th of September in Hamburg.

2.You have a new album coming out during the end of September, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
One of the biggest differences to our last album “Procreation of the wretched” is the singing because Kai the former vocalist left the band last year and I joined the band. Aside from that our songwriting has become more focused which resulted in songs that are straighter and more in your face.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
All lyrics address the dark sides of mankind and how they will bring us to our end of days. The only exception is ‘The Pentagramm’ which is in fact a peom by Aleister Crowley and an homage to mankind. We picked it not only because it’s a really great poem but also because it shows that humanity has so much potential to create sublime things and overcome giant problems which makes our inevitable downfall even more tragic..

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Discreation'?
Discreation means destruction, annihilation. Back in the days when the guys were looking for a band name that fitted their vision, they came across that word and immediately knew that it would be their bands name.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Last year we played on the Rock Hard Festival in Germany which was a really great experience for us because of the awesome amphitheater and the big crowd in front of the stage. But aside from that we had many great experiences over the years. It’s always a good show when there’s a connection between band and audience and this special energy fills the room. If we may believe in the feedback we get after our shows our live performance is very tight and bursting of energy.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
Yes. As mentioned before we will go on tour with Master from the 28th of September till the 7th of October. We will play 10 shows around Germany, Switzerland and Netherlands.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal?
What we know from reviews the last album has been received pretty good everywhere. But we haven’t been invited to play somewhere abroad. So you can’t really say how much people really got aware of us.

8.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
Our guitarist Dave plays in a Thrash/Power Metal band named ‘Odium’ which released a new album in July this year and I also do the grunts in the Death/Black Metal band ‘Horresque’.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Discreation belongs to Death Metal and will always celebrate that by fusing the best elements of the American and European forms of Death Metal.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
While I am more into Black Metal nowadays, our guitarists are still very much into Death Metal. Overall I`d say that we all have a pretty wide spread musical taste. But our common denominator is Death Metal of course.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Some like gaming, some are more into sports like bouldering or mountain biking.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks for the interview. We are very proud of our upcoming album and hope that the Death Metal maniacs out there will know to appreciate it! So long, stay alive but love Death!

Friday, August 18, 2017

Buried Realm are a solo project from Colorado that plays a very melodic and technical form of death metal and this is a review of his self released 2017 album "The Ichor Carcinorma" which will be released in September.

Clean playing starts off the album an it also gives the music more of a progressive feeling while the solos and leads are done in more of a melodic fashion and after awhile the music goes into more of a heavier and technical direction along with a mixture of death metal growls and high pitched screams.

Elements of neo-classical can be heard in the guitar leads while the riffs also bring in a great amount of melody along with all of the musical instruments sounding very powerful and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and symphonic elements are also used at times.

You can also heart touches of traditional metal in the guitar riffing and some tracks also bring in a small amount of clean singing. while a later song adds in industrial style keyboards briefly and a couple of the tracks are instrumentals while touches of progressive rock can also be heard in some of the synths and a couple of the tracks are very long and epic in length.

Buried Realm plays a style of death metal that is very melodic, progressive and technical sounding, the production sounds very professional for being a self released recording while the lyrics cover mental and physical battles of terminal illness and diseases and the attempt to rebuild.

In my opinion Buried Realm are a very great sounding melodic and technical death metal solo project and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Ichor Carcinorma" "On Serpent Soil" and "SuperSpell". 8 out of 10.

Cranely Gardens are a band from New Jersey that plays deathcore with elements of thrash, death, black, nu metal and metalcore and this is a review of their self released 2017 ep "House OF Decay".

Radio and horror movie samples start off the ep before going into a heavier direction along with some vocals that add in death metal growls and the more aggressive side of thrash while the riffs also mix in a great amount of melody and metalcore elements along with a touch of nu metal.

When the music speeds up a great amount of blast beats can be heard while the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast pats along with the solos and leads being done in a very melodic and technical fashion and the music also incorporates elements from the more melodic side of black metal and clean playing is added onto the closing track.

Cranely Gardens plays a musical style that is mostly rooted in the melodic side of deathcore while also mixing in some metalcore, thrash, death, black and nu metal elements to create something very original, the production sounds very professional for being a self released recording while the lyrics cover dark and philosophical themes.

In my opinion Cranely Gardens are a very decent sounding deathcore band with elements of thrash, death, black, nu metal and metalcore and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Muswell Hill" "Savages" and "The Challenger". 7/5 out of 10.

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?

I sure can! Crejuvent is my little musical love child that is a direct result of not getting laid in my teenage years coupled with clinical cynicism. It incorporates everything that I love about heavy music into a seamless musical concoction. Being a regular working musician working in different project, I wanted to release my own music without anybody else’s objection to the dumb shit I wanted to do. As of now, the band is only a studio project with myself as the sole member, but who knows what will happen in the future!

2.So far you have released a demo and an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings and also how do they differ from each other?

The first demo ‘Pretty Demos’ was just that, a small collection of songs I had written and recorded that were just lying around in my laptop. The demos are a bit rudimentary, the tracks differ quite a lot from each other and it sounds a lot less cohesive as a release. But hey, the songs themselves are pretty cool! There are probably more elements of old school death metal in that one as the song writing is a bit less defined, band the recordings are also a bit more raw, mainly due to the fact that I wasn’t as good at producing as I was when I released ‘Time’.

‘Time’ is my first attempt at a solo EP. IT sounds much more cohesive and I feel the whole EP has a more unique feel than ‘Pretty Demos’. It’s somewhat more atmospheric and I toyed around with musical ideas a bit more, I got to do all sorts of dumb shit with it that I didn’t get to do with the demos. The sound is rooted more in progressive death metal and is arguably a bit more melodic, but it’s miles heavier in terms of feeling and intensity. Plus there are samples from Simpsons, which is an element that I feel was extremely lacking in ‘Pretty Demos’.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?

Typically, it’ll be some sort of abstract concept, or existential crisis, or even a small narrative that explores the theme. You know, typical depressed teenager sorta stuff. I’m not a very literal lyricist, and I like to mask things in metaphors and allegories, I like to think it allows the listener to make up their own interpretation of the song and ultimately makes them more attached to the songs. Sometimes the lyrics have to be implied rather than expressed, ya know?

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Crejuvent'?

It has zero meaning. It’s a dumbass word that I made up and decided to use because it had zero results on Google when I looked it up. Plus it’s great when people ask me how to pronounce it cus it’s like “pfft, I don’t know” and people can pronounce it however they want. Plus I’m really shit at coming up with names for songs or bands, like REALLY bad…making up my own word was an easy way for me to skirt from that responsibility

5.Other than a few quests you record most of everything by yourself, are you open to working with a full band or do you prefer to work solo?

Yeah I’d love to, there’s just no available musicians in my are that are open and willing to devote time into my own artistic vision! Which is completely fair enough. Depending on how my finances are in the future, I would definitely consider getting session musicians for recordings, but that’s more of a one-off thing. For this project I definitely prefer writing solo.

6.How are some of the quests that have participated on your recordings?

When ‘Pretty Demos’ was released, I had my friend from university sing on the track Dualism. I knew what I wanted but couldn’t pull it off myself at the time and knew he had the vocals for it and he fucking nailed it! I also wanted a berserk and overkill guitar solo in Projection, so I asked my friend Max (who I’m currently playing bass for in the studio) to go nuts on a guitar solo and he whipped that bad boy out in a second! I enjoy letting people in on these things every now and again, it provides a small break from the monotony and ultimately they bring something to the table that I probably wouldn’t have thought of. Plus I’m an extremely mediocre guitar player at best so, you know.

7.What are some of the best shows that the live band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

So far with Crejuvent I’ve only ever played two shows. One was right after ‘Pretty Demos’ was release and I didn’t really know what to do with myself. There was barely anybody in the crowd and the venue was less than ideal, so my friend ended up giving me a tortilla wrap that I fixed on the microphone, which was humorous but looking back totally made it look like I just wanted a good. Which is sorta true, but not the whole truth. The second show I did was the year after that and it went off great! Given that it’s just me on stage playing bass and singing to backing tracks, people absolutely loved it for what it was. I really try to go all out on stage, cus nobody wants to see some asshole playing guitar or whatever standing awkwardly, people come to see a show and be entertained! I’ve injured myself so many times on stage and at almost every gig I end up jumping around so much I almost puke, it’s great, it’s intense.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

Not much is going on at the moment really, I wanted to wait and see how the release for this EP goes first and then get on that gigging horse.

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

Well of course I’d be interested. I’m not actively looking or anything just yet, but I’m keeping my eyes peeled. I’ve had a few small independent labels approach me on Facebook, but they usually seemed like they just copy and paste their messages to bands so I never really pursued them. If a label, no matter how small, is GENUINALLY interested then they’ll be willing to write to me personally. I wouldn’t want to sign with someone who doesn’t really give a shit.

10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?

No full length yet. I’m considering doing a single in these next few months, but since I’m already really busy with my other bands who knows what will happen. I got a few tracks already written, it’d be just a matter of reworking them, re-recording them, getting artwork, doing some PR…see, it’s not as easy and quick as it seems!

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Main influence for Crejuvent is by far Strapping Young Lad. It’s their intensity, sarcastic layers, and production that I really fell in love with. Fear Factory have also been a big influence, especially in terms of adding synths and industrial elements. That said, I’m big on my progressive death metal, bands such as Beyond Creation, Cynic, Obscura, to name a few, have been huge influences on my bass playing and songwriting. Nowadays I’m listening to metal a bit less and more to whatever Spotify chooses for me, from Toto to Leprous and anything in between.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Eating, Rick and Morty, bouldering, and World of Warcraft. And plenty of sitting. I love sitting down.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

I’m going to assume you mean final words for this interview and not final words for like…life. Because that’d be nuts.

All I wanna say is go and check out Crejuvent’s ‘Time’ EP out now and get ready for the most sexually arousing listening experience of your life BAR NONE. It’s out everywhere, on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, all of it!

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Under Eden are a band from St. Paul, Minnesota that plays a melodic mixture of death and thrash metal and this is a review of their 2017 album "An Aeons-Long Shadow" which was released by Sleaszy Rider Records.

Movie samples start off the album before adding blast beats and melodic guitar leads onto the recording as well as some death metal growls and screams while all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them along with clean playing also being added into certain sections of the recording.

A lot of the music is very heavily rooted in the 90's as well as mixing it in with a more modern edge while the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts along with the music also mixing in elements of thrash and a couple of the tracks are long and epic in length along with a couple of songs also add in a brief use of clean male and female female vocals and they close the album with a live bonus track.

Under Eden plays a musical style that takes old school melodic death metal and thrash together to create a sound of their own, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover the influence of extraterrestrial beings over humanity's creation, beginnings and history.

In my opinion Under Eden are a very great sounding melodic mixture of death and thrash metal and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Aeon-Alpha-Storming Primordial Shores" "Catalyst For Massacre" "Ensnared In The Rapture" and "Veil Of Twilight". 8 out of 10.

Darkfall are a band from Australia that plays a melodic mixture of death and thrash metal and this is a review of their 2017 album "At The End Of Times" which will be released in September as a joint effort by Black Sunset and MDD Records.

Tragic sounding keyboards start off the album along with some symphonic elements before going into more of a heavier and melodic direction which also introduces death metal growls and high pitched screams onto the recording while the music is also very heavily influenced by the Swedish style.

When the music speeds up a decent amount of blast beats can be heard while the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and when guitar solos and leads are utilized they are also done in a very melodic fashion and the music also mixes in a great amount of modern thrash influences and as the album progresses symphonic elements also make a return in certain sections of the recording and spoken word parts can also be heard at times, some tracks also add in a small amount of clean playing and a later track also brings in a small amount of female vocals.

Darkfall plays a musical style that takes melodic death metal and mixes it with a modern style of thrash to create a sound of their own, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover dark and anti religion themes.

In my opinion Darkfall are a very great sounding melodic mixture of death and thrash metal and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Ride Through The Sky" "Deathcult Debauchery" "Your God Is Dead" and "Land Of No Return MMXVII". 8 out of 10.

Crejuvent are a solo project from the United Kingdom that plays a very melodic, progressive and technical form of death metal and this is a review of his self relased 2017 ep "Time",

Heavy riffs along with some death metal growls and screams start off the recording along with all of the musical instruments sounding very powerful as well as the music getting very technical at times while the keyboards gives the song a more progressive feeling and the riffs also use a great amount of melody.

Throughout the recording there is a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and both spoken word parts and clean singing are also used at times and when guitar leads are utilized they are also done in a very technical fashion along with some elements of industrial and djent and blast beats are also used briefly as well as a brief use of synths and spoken word samples are added onto the closing track.

Crejuvent plays a musical style that takes the prog, technical and melodic sides of death metal and mixes them together to create a sound of his own, the production sounds very professional for being a self released recording while the lyrics cover dark themes.

In my opinion Crejuvent are a very great sounding progressive, melodic and technical death metal solo project and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this ep. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Code orange" and "Word Vomit". 8 out of 10.

Monday, August 14, 2017

Gutslit are a band from India that has been featured before in this zine and plys a brutal mixture of death metal and grindcore and this is a review of their 2017 album "Amputheatre" which will be released in October by Transcending Obscurity India.

Atmospheric soundscapes start off the album along with some war samples before going into a more brutal direction and when the music speeds up a great amount of blast beats and grindcore elements can be heard along with all of the musical instruments having a very powerful sound to them.

Vocals are mostly death metal growls along with a few screams and pig squeals and when solos and leads are utilized they have a sense of melody to them while also sticking to a more traditional death metal style and spoken word samples can also be heard briefly on a few tracks and the music always remains heavy and brutal.

Gutslit creates another recording that remains true to the brutal mixture of death metal and grindcore from their previous release, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover murder, torture and gore themes.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Gutslit and if you are a fan of brutal death metal and grindcore, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Brazen Bull" "Blood Eagle" and "Death Hammer". 8 out of 10.

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

Roman: Hi! Slice of Sorrow is an atmospheric death metal band from Russia. It’s my side project which I founded in 2015. All the material I write by myself: music, lyrics, arrangements. The songs have headbanging riffs, melodic leads, atmospheric keyboards and extreme vocals. Right now we’ve got one album out. It’s called “Execution” and we have very tasty and spicy video for song “Brutal”. You should definitely check it out.

2.So far you have released a demo and a full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings?

Roman: The full-length album sounds massive, strong, full of energy and passion. It’s got headbanging rhythm guitars, melodic leads, cool keyboards as I said before and the most important thing is that it gives you strength and confidence when you listening to it also it relaxes you for example the song “Kingdom of Suffering”. I gotta tell you “Execution” is very varied and professional sounding. That’s all I wanted.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

Roman: Lyrics are about anger, hate, vengeance, passion, inner strength, sex. That’s pretty much it. The main message is “Don’t be a victim, be a hunter!”

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Slice Of Sorrow'?

Roman: Actually it's very funny ‘cause I didn’t come up with this title, Marina Nemtseva did - guitarist and cofounder of Instorm (my another band). The story goes like this. I had a lot of ideas for the title but the thing was that they just were not good enough for the band. I felt that it needs something cooler, something better. So one day Marina said: ”Hey, what about Slice of Sorrow?” And I said: “Wow, it’s actually pretty cool!” It’s damn good because it’s a big title, it’s catchy and the most important thing it perfectly reflects the mood of the songs.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Roman: Well, it’s my favorite part definitely. The best concert so far took place in Novomoskovsk it's a town in Russia. There was the biggest audience so far that we played for. The club was filled with people they were very responsive and it was such a pleasure playing there. We was giving them our energy and they gave it back like in 100 times more. It was so cool, the crowd was really kicking ass. Well, it was the best feeling in my life so far. Thanks Novomoskovsk for that! \m/
Speaking of our stage performance I'd say - it's very energetic, dynamic, headbanging. We do everything to bring people joy. I like seeing people headbanging, jumping, dancing, singing and slamming with us. It's the best feeling.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

Roman: Yeah, sure we've got some plans for the concerts. Right now we don't have the actual dates but we're working on it.

7.The new album was released on 'Metal Carnival Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Roman: With pleasure. 'Metal Carnival Records' was founded by me and Marina Nemtseva. We did it because we wanted to release our albums on our terms 'cause you know unfortunately most average record labels can't offer you a good deal. Their conditions and support are very poor. So we've thought that maybe we can do better by ourselves and we'll see where it gets us. Right now we're doing only our bands but who knows what will be in the future.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of melodic death metal?

Roman: You know, feedbacks were really great. I got messages from different corners of the world that "Execution" is very cool, it's awesome music. I didn't expect that there will be so many positive feedbacks about vocals. I was flattered that listeners love the sound quality of the album 'cause it's my second album as a producer. Reviews are pretty great too. I really happy that people like it. Thanks for listening, guys and thanks for the feedbacks.

9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

Roman: Well our drummer Max Konnov also plays in a band called "The Suicider". They released new album this year. Our bass player Alexander Petrov like me and Marina plays in "Instorm". So what's up with "Instorm" right now? It's been quiet for a while but we did a lot of work all this time. And that's all I can say about it right now.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Roman: There won't be something extraordinary different style-wise. It's gonna be like the first album, you know, old school death with heavy guitars and melodic keyboards but I've got aces up my sleeve so there will be some surprises definitely. It will be couple songs that you just won't expect from Slice of Sorrow but of cause in a good way;)

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Roman: The biggest influence on my music in this project is Hypocrisy. It's an amazing band and I really dig it. Besides it I could say Cradle of Filth, Cryhavoc, Metallica, Dimmu Borgir and of cause classical music like Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart. Speaking of what I'm listening to now, it's classical music, KISS, Hypocrisy, Cryhavoc, Iron Maiden and Metallica. As you can see it's pretty old school stuff.)

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Roman: I like to play video games. My favorite ones are Gothic, The Witcher and Mortal Kombat. Also I like to create websites. I mean from the scratch, design, layout, programming and other stuff, for example our official websites sliceofsorrow.com and instormed.com are entirely my work.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Roman: Thank you everyone who listens to Slice of Sorrow. I'm very happy when my music reaches other people and helps them in life. Come to our concerts, stay strong and be yourself no matter what! \m/
Thank you for the interesting interview!

Saturday, August 12, 2017

The Convalescene are a band from Toledo, Ohio that plays a symphonic form of deathcore with some elements of black and death metal and this is a review of their 2017 album "This Is Hell" which will be released in September by Unique Leader Records.

A very heavy and brutal sound starts off the album along with some death metal growls and deathcore style break downs while high pitched grindcore screams which also have a touch of black metal to them are also used at times along with symphonic elements also being mixed in with the brutality.

Angry spoken word parts are also utilized at times while all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them and when the music speeds up a great amount of blast beats can be heard along with the riffs also bringing in a decent amount of melody at times and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts.

As the album progresses female vocals can also be heard on some of the songs and a later track also introduces clean playing onto the recording and when guitar leads are utilized they are done in a very technical fashion and a great amount of slam elements can be heard quite a bit throughout the recording.

The Convalescene plays a musical style that is mostly rooted in deathcore while adding in black, death metal and symphonic elements to create something very original, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover dark and violent themes.

In my opinion The Convalscene are a very great sounding symphonic deathcore band with touches of black and death metal and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Scum" "Murder Machine" "This Is Hell" and "The World Infested". 8 out of 10.

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
Tuomo Salonen (TS): It's been busy! Album artwork, lyric videos and all the other stuff related to the album release takes a fair amount of work. We've also been rehearsing for the upcoming shows.

2.In September you have a new album coming out, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
TS: Not too much thought was put into what the record should sound like – we did what felt natural. You can hear different kinds of stuff there really – it's not strictly a death metal or thrash metal record. There is aggression, there is speed, there is melody. Some of the songs even have alternative rock influences.
When we first started out back in 2005 we didn't really have a clear vision about what we wanted to do musically other than play metal. The last time we released something was back in 2010, so you can't compare the old and the new material, really. We're quite a different band now.

3.From 2012 to 2017 the band took a 5 year hiatus, what was the cause of the break and also the decision to get back together?
TS: We had a good thing going on after we released ”The First Morning and the Last Day” in 2010. We played in the legendary Nummirock festival in Finland in 2011 and people were starting to talk about us. After that we took some time off, which we definitely should have not done - you got to strike while the iron is hot and all that stuff. Our vocalist Psycho left the band in 2012. We tried out a couple vocalists, but I think two or three of them dropped out at the last minute for whatever reason, so we were left without a singer. Then it was time for our bassist Niilo to leave the band. Add the fact that we hadn't written anything new in three years, and we were seriously starting to question the future of the band. So it was all a big clusterfuck of bad calls, line-up problems and lack of new material.
Niko and I kept on jamming every now and then while we didn't have an active line-up. I had some ideas that we started working on, but we weren't sure at the time whether or not we would continue under the Nemecic name. Eventually the three of us decided to give it one more shot, and we recruited Emil (Borg, bass) in 2014. Henry (Hämäläinen, vocals) joined the band in 2015 and the current line-up was completed.

4. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new release?
Niko Anttila (NA): Basically it's all about life and death. Humankind has always had a huge need to escape mortality through man-made deities and stories of immortal heroes and I wanted to explore this inextinguishable need regarding this ongoing era where replaceable internal organs and exponentially growing computational power enable us to invent new ways to exist and increase our lifespan. Immortality is a mind-boggling concept and it sure as hell forces us to ponder on the question what life actually is. The album has a sort of dualistic message to it as it explores life and immortality, but on the other hand it also confesses flaws in human nature which will most definitely destroy us - once again it all boils down to human greed and overflowing stupidity which will be our undoing. I really love to wrap all these big metaphysical and philosophical questions into a warm and anecdotal telltale-like environment - I think it makes browsing through lyrics much more fun and it also leaves much room for listeners to make their own interpretations.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Nemecic'?

NA: There is a certain appeal to the concept of rightful vengeance, isn't there? I mean it seems like a good way to express the final nonnegotiable price for all the transgressions done. Mankind has fallen into hubris and Nemecic ascends to pass a check that is most certainly going to bounce.

TS: There were like a gazillion bands called ”Nemesis”, so we went with the Greek spelling. To make things more confusing, we don't pronounce it the Greek way but as if it were written in English: ”Nemesis”.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
TS: The aforementioned Nummirock comes to mind. We had a perfect slot – Voivod had just finished their set on the main stage and quite a few people who weren't there to see us in particular were exposed to our music! Another good one was on our home turf in Jyväskylä in a club called Katse; I think the year was 2011. We'll play our album release show there next month.

We've always been an energetic live band. You have to deliver a show – watching people perform carbon copies of their recorded songs is boring as hell. The music has to be pretty damn exiting in order for a band to get away with standing still, staring at their instruments.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

TS: We have a couple of confirmed dates in Finland so far. We're hoping to do a proper Finnish tour next year and hopefully a couple of festivals as well.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death and thrash metal?

TS: Dunno about death/thrash fans, but the reviews from abroad have been positive. We haven't read a single bad review so far. I wouldn't be surprised to see the response in Finland to be a bit more average though... haha!

9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that the band members are a part of?
TS: Me and Henry are the only ones who have other projects. Henry sings in Shade Empire and Asylum 8 (both metal) whereas I play in Tardy, a grunge rock band, and an Alice in Chains tribute band called Men in the Box.

10. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

TS: Hard to say yet. Obviously we want to challenge ourselves and try to write stuff that feels fresh and exciting for us. There are some riffs and ideas, but we try not to think about it too much at this point. The new album isn't even out yet!

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
TS: I can only speak for myself and it's impossible to list them all, but if you listen to the album carefully you can hear the the influence of Fear Factory, Alice in Chains, Carcass, Slayer, Lamb of God, Sentenced, Katatonia and Meshuggah, for example. What do we listen to nowadays? It can be ”Licenced to Ill, ”Abbey Road” or ”Reek of Putrefaction” - it totally depends on the mood. We all have our musical favorites and perversions!

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Discreation are a band from Germany that plays an brutal form of death metal and this is a review of their 2017 album "End Of Days" which was released by F.D.A Records.

A very fast and brutal sound along with a great amount of blast beats starts off the album while the vocals are mostly deep death metal growls along with a small amount of melody and screams and all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them and synths are also used briefly.

A great amount of mid 90's influences can be heard in the bands musical style while the solos and leads are very much in the traditional sound of death metal along with the tracks also bringing in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and black metal screams are also used briefly and clean playing along with spoken word parts can be heard at times as the album progresses.

Discreation plays a style of death metal that is very traditional and brutal while also mixing in a touch of black metal, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover war, death, hatred and inhumanity themes.

In my opinion Discreation are very great sounding brutal death metal band with a touch of black metal and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "End OF Days" "El Magico" and "Where All Hope Has Been Silenced". 8 out of 10.

Monday, August 7, 2017

Slice Of Sorrow are a band from Russia that plays a very atmospheric and melodic form of death metal and this is a review of their 2017 album "Execution" which was released by Metal Carnival Records.

Horror movie style keyboards start off the album before going into a heavy and fast direction which also uses a great amount of blast beats and the riffs also use a decent amount of melody and after awhile high pitched screams and death metal growls start to make their presence known.

When guitar solos and leads a re utilized they are done in a very melodic style while keyboards are also mixed in with the heavier sections of the music along with the songs also bringing in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and the riffs also b ring in a great amount of melody.

All of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them and as the album progresses you can also hear clean guitars also being utilized briefly along with a couple of song also adds in a small amount of stringed instruments, flutes, and acoustic guitars and one of the tracks is long and epic in length.

Slice Of Sorrow plays a style of melodic death metal that is very atmospheric sounding with some keyboards, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover dark and anti religion themes.

In my opinion Slice OF Sorrow are a very great sounding atmospheric and melodic death metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Altar Of Pleasure" "Only Whisper" "Slowly" and "Last Tear". 8 out of 10.

Saturday, August 5, 2017

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
We've taken some well deserved vacation.

2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
We’ve used more time on the album to get it right, which we hope is something that can
be heard on the album. With this album we've found our path and identity, and therefore
rest more confident with the material. While working on the album we tried to keep things
simple, and not to compromise our technical level. We kept raising the bar for what we
can do and express.

3.This is your first release in 4 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has
been going on during that time frame?
We've used a lot of that time auditioning drummers, but we weren’t successful. In midst
of it all; we’ve lost 3 family members almost back to back. In order to cope with the
losses, we had to take some time off. All this of course contributed to the delay of the
release. Hopefully there won’t be another 4 years before the next release.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer
music?
We primarily focus on existentialism and inner universe. We also contemplate
anti-religious subjects.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Necrosis'?
To us it’s a metaphor for the degradation and decadence of our society. Which also
shines through in our lyrical universe.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how
would you describe your stage performance?
We all have our personal preference of what is our best show, but there is in thing in
particular that stands out. We participated Wacken Metal Battle 2014, which meant
playing at two separate gigs at either side of the country (Kolding in Jutland, and
Copenhagen in Zealand). Prior the event we haven’t played on such big venues before, so
it was quite an experience. Our stage performance is very focused, but were still working
on our presence.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
We don't have any touring planned, however, we're having a release party for the album.
Hopefully there will be more gigs to come.

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any
interest?
We have been contacted by a couple of minor lab

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death
metal and grindcore?
When we play live, we always get positive feedback. The feedback we get is priceless,
which is why fans shouldn’t hold back on the feedback. Acknowledgement is among
other things that pushes us forward.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We always try to challenge our technical level, and we’re not afraid to experiment. We feel
comfortable in the genre we’re in now, i.e. brutal death / grindcore, and we will try to stay
true to the genre and simultaneously evolve our technical level. Speed and brutality,
however, is always one of our goals when writing new material.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your
music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
It’s difficult to actually pin-point the bands that inspires us, since we seek inspiration in all
kinds of music both lyrically and musically. We listen mostly to death metal and what lies
beyond.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
All band members are fathers, so family is important. We love playing PC and consoles.
One of us is a board-game enthusiast.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We want to point out that we have an amazing underground for metal, that are in dire
need of attention. There is a massive talent that aren’t getting the well-deserved credit. If
you’re a fan of metal; explore the local scene and support the bands by showing up to the concerts, and recognize them on their social medias.

Friday, August 4, 2017

Dimman are a band from Finland that plays a very melodic form of death metal with elements of prog and djent and this is a review of their 2017 ep "Guide My Fury" which will be released on August 25th by Inverse Records.

Melodic guitar leads and blast beats start off the ep along with some death metal growls a few seconds later while you can also hear all of the musical instruments that are present on the recording and atmospheric synths can also be heard in the background and screams are also used at times.

Throughout the recording you can hear a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts while classical guitars are also added into certain sections of the recording along with all of the musical instruments on the recording have a very powerful sound to them and the music also gets very symphonic at times and as the ep progresses clean singing, prog and djent elements are added onto the recording and they close the recording with an orchestra track..

Dimman plays a style of melodic death metal that also mixes in symphonic, prog and djent elements to create a sound of their own, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover dark themes.

In my opinion Dimman are a very great sounding melodic death metal band with elements of prog and djent and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out t his band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Guide my Fury" and "Pitch Black Morning". 8 out of 10.

Heathenspawn are a band from Sydney, Australia that plays a very melodic form of death metal and this is a review of their self released and self titled 2017 ep.

Clean playing and synths start off the ep along with some spoken word parts a few seconds later which also leads up to more of a heavier and melodic direction along with a mixture of death metal growls and screams a few seconds later and all of the musical instruments sound very powerful.

When guitar solos and leads a re utilized they are done in a very melodic fashion while whispers are utilized and when guitar solos and leads are utilized they give the songs more of an 80's metal feeling and all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them along with the faster sections of the songs bringing in a decent amount of blast beats and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts.

Heathenspawn plays a style of melodic death metal t hat is very catchy and heavy sounding, the production sounds very professional for being a self released recording while the lyrics cover Satanism, Occultism and Anti Religion themes.

In my opinion Heathenspawn are a very great sounding melodic death metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this ep. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Bound In Flesh" and "The Vatican Burns". 8 out of 10,

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Cognizance are a band from the United Kingdom that has been featured before in this zine and plays a very melodic and technical form of death metal with some touches of thrash and deathcore and this is a review of their self released 2016 ep "Illusory".

Horror movie style soundscapes and acoustic guitars start off the ep before going into more of a heavier direction while also adding a great amount of melody in the leads and riffs and after awhile death metal growls make their presence known along with the faster sections of the songs using a great amount of blast beats.

At times the music gets very technical while the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts along with the riffs also mixing in a decent amount of thrash influences and touches of deathcore can be heard in the mid tempo sections of the songs and acoustic guitars also return briefly on a later track which is also an instrumental.

Cognizance remains true to the melodic and technical style of death metal from previous releases while also having touches of thrash and deathcore, the production sounds very professional for being a self released recording while the lyrics cover dark and philosophical themes.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Cognizance and if you are a fan of melodic and technical death metal, you should check out this ep. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Amputated From Actuality" and "Spectrum". 8 out of 10.